Corn-planter



(No Model.)

M. A. SPAFFORD.

001w PLANTER. No. 348,536. Patented Aug. 31, 1886.

Nlrrnn drains A'rnNT Fries.

MARK A. SPAFFORD, OF ROCK FALLS, ILLINOIS.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,536, dated August 31, 1886.

Application filed August 10, 1885,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MARK A. SPAFFORD, a citizen of the United States, residiig at ltock Falls, in the county of .fluteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a-fnll, clear, and exact description of my invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has reference to corn-planters, and pertains more especially, first, to novel mechanism for actuating the seeding devices, and, second, to short ribs or ridges placed radially 011 the upper surface of the seed-plate adjacent to the inner and outer walls of the seed-cups to ease the cut-off over such cups, and thus avoid injury to the seed by being crowded against the walls of the seed-cups.

Myinvention is applicable to two-horse cornplanters, and, as the usual construction thereof is well known, I do not deem it nec ssary to show or describe anything fultllel tllitll the parts constituting my invention and t ieir mode of operation and attachment.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the part of a planter showing the first part of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof, exhibiting the first and second parts of my invention. Fig. 3 is a 'detail of the devices for intermittently rotating the shaft 0. 4 is a detail of a seed-plate provided with my improvement.

A A are the carrying and covering wheels, journaled in the usual way on the axle B.

Dis the tongue of the planter, which is suitably attached at its rear end to the center of the axle B. Hounds or braces P P are respectively attached at their front ends to the sides of the tongue I), a suitable distance forward of the rear end of the latter, and, diverging from the center of the machine, respectively form supports at their rear ends for the rear ends of theside plates, F F, of theseed-frame. A short post, H, is firmly attached to the under side of the rear ends of the hounds I and projects downward a distance slightly greater than the Serial No. 174,051. (No model.)

vertical diameter of the axle B. To the lower end of the posts H are respectively pivoted in a vertical plane the rear ends of the plates F. These pivots form the hinges for the vertical adjustment ofthe seed-frame. By this construction the tongue D, axle B, and hounds P constitute a rigid frame, which, for convenience, I will call the draftframe. A standard, J, extends upward from the front end of the seed-frame, and, with a ratcheted lever or other well-known means, the front end of the seed frame is supported adj ustably on the tongue 1), or by the same means raised clear of the ground in turning or transporting the machine.

The drivers seat K is supported on divergent braces K, attached at their rear ends to such seat and at their front ends to the crossbrace U of the seed-frame. "hus the weight of the driver keeps the seed-runners in the ground, thus dispensing with the usual lock or forcing lever.

By hinging the seed-frame at its rear end I allow a greater range and freedom of vertical action to the seed-runners, and at the same time preserve the horizontal position of the draft-frame as a fixed gage of the depth of such runners.

O is a shaft journaled transversely to the front end of the seed-frame.

E E are twin collars, rigidly attached at their outer ends to the shaft (,3, and having their inner ends open or constituted simply of their rims. This rim is cut into inwardlyprojecting angular points E. The points E of each collar E are projected slightlyinto the interval between the like points E of the adjacent or opposing collar E. Thus the intervals between the two series of points E taken together form a zigzag path or lead around the entire rims E E.

Intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 0 by causing an arm, G, to be reciproeated horizontally'and transversely of the machine to traverse said zigzag path between the collars E causing the shaft of the point H such arm. I transversely reciprocate a seated in ways M M, attached E, each half-motion of such arm 0 to rotate one-half the width at the limit of the outstroke of In the construction shown herein shaker-bar, L, to the brace U,

by means of a handle or lever attached to such bar L. A short arm, G, is rigidly attached at one end to the bar L, and projected through the zigzag path aforesaid and sleeved loosely on the shaft 0 between the collars E; but a hand-lever can be suitably fulcrunied over the center of such collars E and its lower end caused to traverse such path. The outer ends of the shaft 0 can be geared in any suitable way to the revolving seed-plate in the bottom of the seed-hoppers, and thus the intermittent rotation of the shaft 0 be communicated to such seed-plates with the usual results of dropping the seed.'

On the upper surface of the seed-plate N are formed, on each side of the seed-cups therein,

the short ribs N, having their length in theline of the rotation of such seed-cups, and

having sloping ends extending slightly beyond or above the edge of each cup. The ribs N are in pairs'in line of the radius of such seedplate, and therefore may be described as being located at the-inner and outer walls, respectively', of such seed-cups. The function of the ribs N is to ease the cut-off over the grain in the seed-cup and avoid cracking or injuring the grain in the latter by crowding such grain against the rear upper edge of such seed-cu p, as is often the ease with the ordinary construction.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s- I 1. In combination with the seeding devices of a corn-planter, the shaft 0, collars E, provided with interproiected points E, attached to the shaft, arm G, adapted to traverse the path between such points E, and means for actuating such arm, whereby intermittent r0 tary motion is imparted to said shaft 0 and to the seeding devices, substantially as shown, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a corn-planter, a rotating seed-plate,.

N, provided wit r" N, located in pairs radially on such plate at the inner and outer walls of the seed-cups therein, and having inclined or sloping ends, substantially as shown, and for the purpose specified.

M. A. SPAFFORD. Vitucsses: i

A. J. FRANTZ, H. A. Boonsn. 

